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After the first-gen Nest Hub (originally Google Home Hub), it appears the Nest Hub Max will soon make the switch to Fuchsia OS. Google has started internally testing the new operating system on the bigger smart display. The device currently runs the Linux-based Cast OS. The first-gen Nest Hub also originally shipped with Cast OS before it received an update to Fuchsia OS earlier this year.
First spotted by 9to5Google, a recent post on the Fuchsia Gerrit suggests that Google has begun dogfood testing the operating system on “Sherlock,” which is the codename for the Nest Hub Max. The company has also separately confirmed to the publication that the test is underway.
For the uninitiated, the term “dogfood testing” refers to the final stage of internal testing of a product before its public release. The comment on the Fuchsia Gerrit suggests that the most recent milestone release of the platform — Fuchsia version 6 or “f6″— is causing some issues on the Nest Hub Max. But those issues should be quickly resolved and the device could soon receive an update that will replace its underlying operating system. We will keep you posted.
Fuchsia OS is heading into more devices
Google‘s Fuchsia OS has gained steam this year. Well, the development has been ongoing for the past several years but the new operating system is now starting to make its way into consumer devices. The first-gen Nest Hub received the update earlier this year and the Nest Hub Max is now preparing to join the party too. Like the former, the update for the latter could also first arrive for users in the Preview Program in the Google Home app. A wider rollout should follow a few weeks later.
Note that this update will essentially only change the underlying operating system of the device. There’s no noticeable change for users. Many users won’t even notice that their Nest Hub Max is running a different OS than it originally shipped with.
There’s no sign of any device running Fuchsia OS out of the box yet though. Perhaps there’s still much work left to do. Recent reports suggest Samsung is helping Google with the development of the new operating system. The Korean giant reportedly plans to switch from Android to Fuchsia for its smartphones in the future.
But that “future” could still be years away, if at all. Samsung has already made one failed effort at moving away from Android. It launched four Tizen-powered smartphones between 2015 and 2017 before shutting the Tizen shop for smartphones and, this year, smartwatches. Time will tell whether Fuchsia OS can one day indeed replace Android on Samsung smartphones.
